Steps to Transfer Credit from Study Abroad Programs
Below are the steps you must take to have courses from a study abroad program evaluated for
the degree at the University of Puget Sound:
1. Select a University of Puget Sound study abroad program. Only courses completed
on UPS approved programs are eligible to transfer to the degree. When selecting a
program, consult with International Programs staff, the International Programs
website and other resources available in their office (Howarth 215). Check also with
your faculty advisor and any department resources pertinent to study abroad.
2. You must be approved as a study abroad student. To apply for approval, submit the
Puget Sound Application form found at the International Programs Office website.
The form is due on January 31st for the following summer or academic year of study
abroad.
3. Complete the Study Abroad Course Evaluation Request form. Using Microsoft
Word, you will enter on the form the courses you would like to take at the program to
which you are approved to attend. Be sure to include all courses you might take,
including alternates, since you may not be able to enroll in your first choice classes
due to class cancellations, schedule conflicts, policies at the host institution, or
enrollment limits.
Before completing this form:
You must meet with your major advisor prior to submitting the application described
in 2 above. If you have two majors, you should meet with both faculty advisors. If
you hope to earn minor credit abroad, please check with the department chair of that
minor department to be sure you have selected an appropriate study abroad program.
The advisor’s role in study abroad planning is essential to a successful study abroad
experience. Please see handout: The Role of the Advisor in Study Abroad.
You must have all majors, minors, and interdisciplinary emphases that you plan to
complete on your academic record (You can declare or change your academic plans
at the Academic Advising Office in Howarth 114. Please also refer to their website:
http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/advising--registrar/declare-major-selectadvisor/) If you are unsure whether or not you will be able to complete a second
major or a minor, you can drop the major or minor at a later date. In order to receive
an accurate evaluation of study abroad courses, you will need your academic plan
entered in into PeopleSoft on your Advisement Report.
4. Save the completed form as a Word document. Email it to Kathleen Campbell,
Transfer Evaluator in the Registrar’s Office: kcampbell@pugetsound.edu.
The form should be emailed from your pugetsound.edu email account.
Deadline: February 25 for summer, fall, and full year study abroad students
September 15 for spring study abroad students
5. The Transfer Evaluator will review your proposed courses and determine whether and
how each course will transfer to your degree requirements, following university
transfer credit policies. Frequently, she will need to consult with academic
departments if you hope to earn major or minor credit abroad. She may ask you to
provide a course syllabus to make a final transfer determination. Upon your return,
you may also need to submit the textbook and completed assignments for review as
the basis of the final transfer credit evaluation.
This process can take several weeks given the high numbers of students studying
abroad. Normally, summer/fall/full year evaluations are completed in March
and April. Spring evaluations are completed mostly in October and November.
Please be patient, but if you need a transfer determination and have not heard back yet
from the Evaluator, please email her to let her know of your concern or to meet an
important deadline in your study abroad planning deadline.
6. The Transfer Evaluator will email you when your courses have been evaluated and
schedule an appointment with you to review the transfer determination for each class.
At this appointment, the Evaluator will give you a copy of the completed Study
Abroad Course Evaluation Request form and a copy of your Advisement Report that
will show how the approved courses apply to core, upper-division, foreign language,
major, or minor requirements, or if they transfer simply as elective credits. She will
review with you the degree requirements you will likely need to complete following
your study abroad and registration procedures for UPS classes while you are abroad.
7. You may need additional courses evaluated after your meeting with the Evaluator. If
you learn of new courses later, or when you arrive at your study abroad site, email the
Evaluator with the course number and titles of any new courses not yet evaluated. To
the extent possible, please do not register for any courses unless you know whether
and how the course will apply to your degree. Not all courses are transferable from
study abroad programs and universities. If you are on site, your evaluation request
is first priority and she will try to provide a transfer determination within a couple of
work days.
8. Be sure to request from your study abroad program an official transcript to be sent to
this address upon completion of the program:
Registrar’s Office
University of Puget Sound
1500 N. Warner Street
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma Washington 98416-1034
It is the student’s responsibility to have the transcript sent to UPS.
9. After your official transcript arrives, the Transfer Evaluator will apply your approved
courses to your academic record at UPS, and email you confirmation that this has
happened.